To increase chances of pregnancy women must maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Proper exercise and diet are a given.
How about this though? Eat a diet high in vegetables, vegetable oil, fish, and beans and you'll increase your chances of getting pregnant.
If this diet sounds familiar, it is.
This is essentially a Mediterranean diet.
Dutch researchers performed a study on 161 couples undergoing fertility treatment at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Before starting the treatments the couples answered detailed questions about their eating habits the month leading to the study.
The group that followed a Mediterranean diet plan was a whopping 40% more likely to become pregnant.
A Mediterranean style diet is low in saturated fat, high in monounsaturated fat, and dietary fiber.
This heart-healthy eating plan incorporates the basics of a healthy diet.
Most solid diet plans include fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains.
They also limit unhealthy fats and promote healthy fats like olive oil.
This diet does all of that! The food choices in this diet could help a mother's overall health and provide prenatal benefits for a newborn baby.
Here are the basic tenants of the diet.
1) Fresh food.
Fresh and healthy food is a must.
The staples include fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, whole grains, small amounts of wine, cheeses, and yogurt.
Nothing like delicious fresh foods in your diet.
This is the key to any diet.
2) Less meat.
Consume a diet high in vegetables and fruit.
Eat plenty of tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, peppers, capers, eggplant, mushrooms, white beans, and lentils.
Eat "almost vegetarian" add in plenty of fish and very little meat and the diet is nailed.
3) Healthy Fats.
Eat the healthy fats.
Nuts, fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, tuna, trout, and sardines and olive oil.
Learn to love olive oil.
Olive oil is the principal fat source of this diet.
Omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil are loaded with health benefits.
This includes preventing conditions like heart disease and stroke.
Even though it isn't very Mediterranean consider eating avocados and flaxseed also.
They are loaded with healthy fats.
4) Normal Portions.
With all the wonderful cheeses and other fatty items in this diet it is easy to go overboard.
Make sure to eat small portions of these very rich foods.
The smaller portions should not be a big deal.
Fruits and vegetables are loaded with fiber.
Consuming plenty of these foods will keep you full.
Plus, the healthy fats like olive oil and nuts keep you feeling full.
Throw in some whole wheat pita and a little wine and be good to go! If eating this way helps a woman get pregnant go for it!